Forgotten Warmth
by saving juliet
Summary: Life isn't supposed to hurt so much you can barely survive. People aren't supposed to change. And third chances after you've ruined everything again aren't supposed to exist. But fate doesn't care about what's supposed to happen. Major Character Deaths.


Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or Buffy. Sadly. I'd want Buffy because it is wonderful in every way, but Glee has much better singing (sorry Buffy cast). Canon in Glee Season 1 and through Buffy Season 1-7. Spoilers for both too.

A/N: I am in an angst mood. And of course I choose Glee for my angst crossover, probably one of the least angsty TV shows in history. I'm weird that way. Hope you enjoy it and when you finish, go hit the little button that says review. And for the record let me just say, I love writing it second person. It's so much fun and I'm probably going to write the all of my stories in second person until the end of time. Just kidding. Probably.

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**Forgotten Warmth**

There are screams and tears and fighting after they all burn and she doesn't care. Your wife is staring at you with no loss or pain in her eyes, while your despair threatens to engulf the world. All of them gone. Giles, Dawn, Faith, Angel, Spike, Buffy...Xander. All because you refused to come when their panicked calls sounded from hundreds of miles away. You could have been there is ten seconds. But you weren't, because of your honeymoon. Because she looked at your with big, brown eyes and pouted. They stopped the world ending, but they perished in flame and ash. You can only hope that they're not in hell. You know you could bring them back. But then you remember how damaged Buffy was and you can't even contemplate it. When you hear about their deaths, she stands there, emotionless, nothing on her face. Your hair and eyes turn black as you sob, and she just looks, not even bothering to comfort you. You kick her out and three months later, the divorce is finalized. You retreat into the wilderness with nothing but the wind and animals as company for three years. And you feel like all the heat is sucked from your body. You pile yourself with blankets, but still end up shivering. There's a hole in you that you know is too big to fix.

But one day you're back in the U.S. and a baby appears on the door step with a note from her and an address. You arrive with the little girl, Beth, the note says. You ring the bell and she answers. She looks different and you're sure that plastic surgery was at the top of her priorities for a while. Funny. She never seemed to be someone who cared that much about her appearance when you were together. But maybe you don't know her as well as you imagine you do. Yet, she's the same person you thought you loved , she's still the bossy, slayer girl and you're filled with waves of remembrance. She sits you down and tells you her story. It's so absurd, you almost laugh at parts of it. Almost. You never classified her as the artistic type, and you certainly never thought she would ever be the director of a show choir. She tells you the tale of the little girl in your arms. Somehow she managed to get the little girl adopted with you as the parent. You don't ask how and you don't really want to know. You have a feeling that she's been up to lot a of things that she shouldn't be doing what with a fake name and all. Shelby Corcoran. Looking at her, you would think that a different name changed a person and maybe you're right. She's filled with a care and a warmth that she never had when she was with you. And you wish you'd known that part of her. She bids you goodbye with a quick kiss on the cheek, and hands you the adoption papers and the little girl's birth certificate. She makes you promise to take care of the small child. You say yes.

Nine months later, you look into the high school she mentioned the baby's mother and father were. You learn they're hiring a computer teacher and you apply. You get the job and you settle down in the small town. You observe the driven, bossy girl, who is so like her mother you can barely breathe. You watch as the blond girl and the mohawk guy slowly fall more and more in love and think about their child asleep at daycare. Your daughter. You become friends with Mr. Schu, as the kids call him, and he makes you laugh. You haven't laughed in a long time and it feels nice. He even reminds you a little of Xander, and you become accustomed to the pang you get every time you see him.

Everything's fine, until Puck finds out that you have his daughter. You have no idea how. You sit the Glee kids down and explains about Kennedy, and the death of your friends, and the divorce, and the solitude. You end up crying. They all sit there, stunned, but it's Finn who comes up and puts his arm around you. He's a nice kid and right then, he is exactly what you need. A lot like Riley in a weird way. Quinn and Puck gradually get used to you being the mother to their child and sometimes they even come over to babysit when you are busy. You become co-captain of the Glee Club and eventually you and Will develop into something more. The Glee kids joke with good humor about how silly your names sound together, but you don't care. He accepts your past, even when you tell him the supernatural bits though it takes him a while to get used to it. He makes you happy and he makes you whole and he loves you. And you love him too.

And you look after you world, your baby girl. Beth Buffy Rosenberg. You tell her stories of vampires, and demons, and hellmouths. You tell her about the Scoobies. She reminds of what you've gone through and what you've lost. She makes you remember why you risked heaven and earth to save the people you loved. Sometimes, when you're out walking with her you look at the sky and think of them and how wonderful they were. The sun begins sink into your skin and slowly the feeling for warmth fills you again. You forgot how much it hurt to be frozen all the time. And you were wrong. The hole begins to heal, but you can still feel it and you will never, ever forget the people who gave you friendship and family and a life more important than any you thought you would ever have. They were your everything, but now you have something you never imagined you could ever have again. And you bless the Goddess that you got another chance. Another chance at life and new family to care for.

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